In order to bundle, distinguish and permanently establish the research activities  of the participating universities, competence platforms have been created within the framework of platform funding from the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Competence platforms serve as elements helping to build structures and shape distinguishable profiles at the universities of applied sciences, they are supposed to boost research as well as teaching.

Currently the FH Aachen runs the following competence platforms:

• Bioengineering
• Energy and Environment
• Polymeric Materials
• Synergetic Automotive/Aerospace Engineering